How to Fight Companies Online and Win

Some time ago, the customer was king. Businesses bent over backwards to do what was right for the customer as they appreciated your business. In society today, businesses seem to have lost the ideology that they would have no income without a customer because they think they have all the power. The opposite is actually true so long as the consumer knows how to use the Internet to his advantage.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Journal to document everything
• Receipt from goods or services

1. Organize the facts. Be prepared for a long, drawn out ordeal. You will be more successful months afterward if you leave your emotions on the doorstep and have only factual content to fight with.
2. Make a phone call. Call the business first. Give them the opportunity to fix the problem. Do not accept the answer you do not want to hear. Keep asking for the next level up the hierarchy until they flatly deny you the opportunity to speak with anyone else.
3. Document your conversation verbatim. You will be more effective when you can submit the names and numbers of every person in the organization with whom you spoke in regards to your problem.
4. Write a letter to the CEO, CIO, President or owner of the company. Keep it unemotional, factual and use the names that you documented from your phone calls. Since you are putting this in writing, be completely factual and do not embellish anything.
5. Start your online campaign. If the phone calls and the letters have netted you no satisfaction, your first online campaign will start at the Better Business Bureau Website. By running a search against the company, you will quickly find out which BBB office you will be working with.
6. Research the company on the Internet. You may find many such issues with others similar to yours. This is good information to include in your official BBB complaint.
7. Fill out the online BBB form to complete your complaint against the company. Be completely honest, factual, use your notes and include the other complaints that you have found online that are similar to yours (unless these complaints were from the BBB, in which case they will already know about them).
8. Wait for the response from the BBB. The BBB might make an initial phone call to you, but more than likely, you will hear back from them in 1-2 weeks with the official response from the company. Unless they give in to your demands, never take "no" for an answer with the BBB. The BBB will ask you if you wish to close the issue or continue. They may deem that there is no issue and close it for you. If this is the case, demand that they reopen or keep it open. The BBB must comply, especially if the company you are arguing with is a member of the BBB.
9. Arbitrate the case with the BBB. Make absolutely sure that you wish to arbitrate because this is binding and you are giving up your rights to sue in small claims court or otherwise. If you choose to arbitrate, the BBB will send you and the company a list of arbitrators for you to rank in preference. These arbitrators are generally average folks from all walks of life with varying competencies who are doing this voluntarily. Rank your list according to the person who is most like you, or who is closest to a layman. The business will rank according to the most knowledgeable of the industry or who has the most impressive credentials. Most often, the consumer will win in arbitration or have the most favorable outcome.
10. Submit complaints to other organizations or agencies or consumer advocacy groups concurrently with your BBB complaint. Do not wait to do this as you may be bound to work exclusively with the BBB once they come in contact with you. If you submit to the BBB and these other organizations at the same time, you will be able to multiply your efforts.
11. Submit a complaint to Rip Off Report online (see Resources below). This is a very public site that simply allows you to post your experience with this company for the world to see. This is a good resource to use to find similar complaints to yours and uncover a pattern of behavior. This site does no adjudication or arbitration; it simply allows you a stage.
12. Research the company to find out who the competitors are. Find out who the business partners and other organizations are that work with, purchase, sell or otherwise support this company. Send those companies copies of your ordeal and complaint. Many times, they will also put pressure on the offending company to make things right. The offending company will be more willing to listen to a business partner than to a disgruntled customer.
13. Write your own blog and use your email address book entries to promote it. Make sure everything you do and say about your ordeal is 100% factual. You need not have a libel suit against you from them.
14. Be relentless. These companies are willing to bet that you will just get tired before they get tired. They will eventually make things right or make an honest attempt to make things right. In most situations, BBB arbitrators and small claims court magistrates side with the consumer rather than big business.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider a recording device for your phone call. Make sure you make it known and clear that you are recording your conversation with the company.
• If you choose to picket the company, make sure you are not on their property.
• Libel and slander are serious offenses. Make absolutely certain that you speak, print or publish the facts accurately and truthfully.